Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles could make his first career start on Sunday against the Washington Redskins in place of Michael Vick, who suffered a concussion last week against the Dallas Cowboys.AP Photo / Michael Perez

Philadelphia (3-6) has lost six of its last seven games heading into into Sunday''s match-up against the Washington Redskins (3-6) in a battle of NFC East Division cellar dwellars at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Andy Reid finds himself in the first five-game skid of his tenure as Eagles head coach, which began in 1999. Making matters more difficult is the fact Philadelphia lost quarterback Michael Vick to a concussion in last week's 38-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He seems unlikely to play against Washington, which means rookie Nick Foles would make his first career start.

During the season, The Fan Box
will periodically provide question-and-answer transcripts from various
Eagles players and coaches. Here is Wednesday's transcribed media
session with Reid and selected players, courtesy of the Eagles football media services staff:

ANDY REID

Injury Report:"[WR] Jason Avant will not practice today and will be listed as out with a hamstring. [WR] Mardy Gilyard won’t practice today, but he’s making progress. [RB] Chris Polk will be listed as out with the toe sprain. [WR] Jeremy Maclin, who had the lower back, is making progress. He went through the walk-through and is doing okay there. He might be able to do some things. [G] Danny Watkins will practice. [QB] Michael [Vick] is going through all of the protocol to get himself evaluated with a concussion. Right now, he’s in the stage where he needs rest, and that’s what he’s doing. The headaches have subsided a bit. What I’ll do is I’ll bring [head athletic trainer] Rick [Burkholder] in later in the week and let him give you an update on it. He is meeting with Rick daily and getting what treatment he can for it. The main thing right now is just rest. He has not been tested, and right now he’s going through the rest part of it."

On whether Vick will be listed as out for this week’s game:"No. I’m taking him right through the protocol that you normally do. It’s important that you do that. That’s how we’re doing it."

On whether he still has the headaches:"They’ve subsided quite a little bit. He’s feeling a little bit better in that area."

On whether there is a cut-off date when they have to rule him out:"I don’t know that. Again, we’re taking it day by day and making sure we evaluate him. I’m not evaluating him. Our doctors and trainers are evaluating him."

On the ramping up process for QB Nick Foles:"He’s around here all the time, and he spends a lot of time in this building getting himself right. You have to do that when you’re the relief pitcher as the backup. He’s used to that workload and he’s continuing on with that. He came in yesterday and made sure he put in a few hours. He’s going to handle it like he’s going. Whether he does or not, we’ll see how that works out. That’s how we have to handle that right now."

On whether Reid has to remind Foles not to try and do too much:"He needs to be himself. If he has that opportunity, just be yourself and run the offense."

On whether Reid has simplified the offense for Foles:"No. He’s fairly comfortable with what we have in."

On whether Watkins is back as the starter at right guard:"Watkins is working in at right guard."

On what the situation will be at tackle:"We have the same two, and then [Dennis] Kelly can play out there. Those three will rotate at the tackle spots."

On whether he has plans for newly-acquired G Jake Scott:"We’ll see how he does. We’ll get him in and he played in this offense in college. Then, he knows [offensive line coach] Howard [Mudd]’s technique obviously so he can work in. He rotates everybody in."

On whether he could come in and start right away:"I don’t know exactly where he’s at right now. I wouldn’t be able to tell you that because he hasn’t played in a little bit here. I’ll see him go out, move around, and see what he can do. He has been a solid starter for five years or so. He’s a pretty good player."

On his impressions of Redskins QB Robert Griffin III during the combine:"I think RG III is a heck of player. I think he’s a good kid. He’s a smart kid and a good football player. You can do a lot of things with him."

On what challenge Griffin III presents on Sunday:"They run some of the things that he ran at Baylor, which I think is smart. Bringing a rookie in to start, you bring in some things that he is familiar with. He does that very well. You have the option game and the run game that you have to deal with. They are one of the top run teams in the NFL right now. They have a good, young running back and a good quarterback. Their offensive line is playing well."

On whether the Eagles had any interest of drafting him after they talked to Griffin III at the combine:"I love talking to all those quarterbacks, and he was one of them. We weren’t in a position where we were going to be picking him, but I wanted to see what he was all about. I liked what I saw, yeah."

On why college quarterbacks seem to be having more immediate success in the league:"It’s as simple as the offenses in college now are geared to throwing. These kids are coming out and they’ve seen the blitzes, they’ve thrown the football. They’ve done it in short-yardage situations, in long-yardage situations and everything in between. I think that pays off for them once they get to this [level]. Even though it’s a little different offense, they have confidence in themselves throwing the football and they can see. They can see the safeties and corners where they’re at."

On whether quarterbacks appear to be more developed in the last five years than they had been before:"I would say that’s kind of where it started, right in that area. You go back a little bit further and it’s really magnified there. But the spread’s been about five years or so where it’s really been in the majority of the [college level]."

On whether the fact that quarterbacks at the college level have thrown the ball more helps Foles:"I think that part’s helped Nick. I think it helped him in the preseason. You saw him get in there and throw the ball around. He had confidence doing it. I definitely think that."

On whether there is anything he can do as a coach to take the anxiety out of Foles’ first start:"He’s confident in his ability. If it comes down to where he has that opportunity, I think he’d be excited and [with] his personality type, it would be more of a positive than it would be a negative. I think he’s wired that way."

On whether he believes there is anything he needs to do to remove any anxiety from Foles:"No, I don’t think there’s anything you’d have to do if he’s in that situation."

On his message to the team this week:"Just go play. Go play, one play at a time. Go play. Enjoy the game. That’s what this is all about. You’re in the National Football League. You play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Go enjoy the game."

On his level of confidence in Foles:"I have a lot of confidence in him. That’s why we brought him here."

On whether enough of the players enjoy playing the game right now:"Yeah, I think they do. I think they do. We’ve got a good group; I’ve said that from the beginning."

On whether WR Riley Cooper will move into the slot position or play outside in the absence of WR Jason Avant:"We’ve got a couple different combinations that we can do there, just depending on the play. We’ve got mixture in the run game; we’ve got mixture in the pass game. It’s a good combination."

On the progression of DE Vinny Curry and whether he will make his debut soon:"We’ll see. We’ll see how that works out. We have so many numbers there. That’s the thing and we’ve got some experience with [DE Darryl] Tapp and [other guys]. We’ll just see how all that works out though. He’s working in though. He’s repping in during practice, so there’s always that chance."

On whether he has had the chance to talk to Vick about his mindset since the injury:"Listen, Michael’s in a good place. He’s hurting a little bit from the concussion, but he’s in a good place. I haven’t tried to overburden him right now. I want him to rest right now. That’s part of this protocol here that when you understand about the concussions, they recommend that. We’ve tried to keep him away from here, out of the light and resting. That’s kind of what he’s doing. Trying to get him to feel a little bit better. Like I said, the headaches are subsiding just a bit so that’s a good thing."

On whether he has an idea when Vick’s first set of tests will begin:"I don’t. I leave all that up to [head athletic trainer] Rick [Burkholder] and the doctors. I’ll get Rick with you later in the week. He can give you the update and how he went about it, one way or the other."

On whether Vick has had a CT scan yet:"No. That’s later."

On the philosophy on keeping five defensive tackles and four ends active rather than vice versa:"Some of it depends on the team and what they do. You have that flexibility to do that. The other part is that is [DT Mike] Patterson ready to take 30-plus reps? I’ve tried to keep his numbers down a little bit, just until he gets back without forcing it; still bring him back and give him a chance."

On whether he expects Vick to come back at some point this season:"Yeah, I think so. I’ve just got to see. I don’t know that. He hasn’t gone through any of the tests so far, so right now, he’s just in that resting stage. We’ll see how it goes. I can’t tell you."

On whether LB DeMeco Ryans should have a beat on the Washington offense due to his time facing the same offense in Houston:"Well, it’s similar. The zone-blocking part is the same. It’s just the option part [that’s] a little bit different."

QB NICK FOLES

On how excited he is to potentially make his first start:"I’m ready. I’m excited to just play again. Like I’ve said before, my prayers are with [QB] Mike [Vick] and I just want him to be healthy. It’s my time to just go out there, play, do everything I can for this team, and help in any way possible. We just have to play fast."

On whether he has to make a conscious effort not to do too much:"I think that’s the key. When you play any football game, you play within yourself and within your talents. No matter what the situation, you play it one play at a time. I have 10 other guys in the huddle who want to play their butts off and do their job. If everybody does their job, we’re going to be successful."

On how much input he has on the game plan:"It’s just like football. We’ll talk. If I feel comfortable with something, I’ll say it and if not…I love this offense and our coaches. I have 100% confidence in them. I’m ready to go."

On how the past 72 hours have gone for Foles:"I treat it the same. No matter what type of situation I’m in, I treat it the same. You always prepare yourself when you’re the starter. You always want to prepare yourself the same because if something does happen, you don’t want to have to change up your routine too much. There will be different things that come along with it, like I’m doing media right now. You always have to prepare yourself in a similar way."

On what he learned about himself from the Dallas game:"I think the big thing is just football. I’ve played since I was a kid. Of course, it’s the highest level there is. I just want to play within myself and play within the offense. This offense is the kind where you accomplish goals and we have plays designed so we can do things. Just stay within the offense and try not to do too much. I have 10 other guys out there with me that I count on every single one of them. We just have to play together."

On having G Danny Watkins back in the starting lineup:"It’s great having Danny back. We have had so many guys who have stepped in and played their butt off. No matter who is in there, I know that they are going to give it their all every snap."

On how much he is leaning on QB Michael Vick and the other guys to help him:"I lean on everyone. I’ll ask Mike, [quarterbacks coach] Doug [Pederson], and [QB] Trent [Edwards] to help me. Just preparing, I think that’d be dumb for me not to ask them [questions] because they’ve experienced so much and they’ve played for so long. I want to know everything they know. They’re going to help me and I want to ask questions. I want them to teach me everything they can because Mike is the leader of this team and he’s the quarterback. I’m going to do my job right now until he gets healthy."

On what he learned from the last game:"I learned a lot. Things happen when you least expect it. You can’t turn over the ball in this league. We had two costly turnovers, and you can’t do that. Just play fast and play within myself. We have a lot of great guys on this team and great coaches. We just have to continue to stick together. These have been trying times, and everyone has stuck together. Just stick together, work together, and play as hard as we can for one another."

On what he liked and what he did not like about his performance on Sunday:“"I think just going in there and being able to play fast. I think that’s the key: play fast, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If I do make a mistake, keeping firing it. I think that’s the big thing when you play quarterback; you’re going to make a mistake, you’re going to fire the ball in there. Something’s going to happen and the key [is] you’ve got to keeping firing the ball, no matter what, because those receivers are going to keep running their routes, those linemen are going to keep blocking, running backs and everything. You have to keep playing. You can’t let the last play beat you."

On who makes the first call on offense:"The line will make calls. I’ll make calls. We work together as a unit. We’ve got the running backs back there recognizing things and the key is to work together and be on the same page."

On how fun it was to be back in his element on Sunday:"I mean, it’s exciting. I love playing football. I love being out on the field. I love being with the guys in the huddle and just playing the game. So, it was exciting to play the game again, but my job right now is to do whatever I can at the quarterback position and help these guys in any way possible."

On the best piece of advice Vick has given him:"I think the best piece of advice [is] from watching Mike and how tough Mike is. I’ve watched Mike all year, I’ve learned a lot from him and the guy’s a tough dude. One of the toughest guys I’ve ever seen. He gets hit, he gets right back up. He gets hit, he gets right back up and he keeps firing. He’s not afraid to launch. He’s not afraid to fire it. So, he didn’t have to tell me that. I learned a lot from him by the way he plays and how hard he plays. He wants to win so badly and he fights. He fights, he gets up and I respect him for that and I always will."

On Sunday’s matchup being billed as a battle of rookie quarterbacks:"I mean, it’s crazy how it’s going on this year. But sometimes, life’s crazy and it just happens that way. Right now, we’re playing each other, we’re starting and we’ve got to play at a high level."

On whether there is less time for growing pains at the quarterback position:"At any position, at this level, we don’t really have much margin for error. But, at the same time, you’ve got to play fast. You can’t be afraid to make a mistake. I think if you’re thinking too much and you’re worrying about making mistakes and you let mistakes get you down at any level, if [you’re] a veteran or if you’re a rookie, it’s going to mess you up. I think no matter what position, you’ve just got to play fast and you can’t worry about making a mistake at all."

On his time with the Redskins coaching staff at the Senior Bowl:"It was my first time to work with an NFL coaching staff, so it was a great experience for me. A lot of them have been in the league for a while and some are younger coaches, but I really respect them a lot. They helped me grow as a player. I was there for a week and I learned a lot from them just fundamentally and practicing. It was my first time practicing with NFL coaches so just learning from that was my first taste of it. So, I’m thankful for them for helping me in that situation in the Senior Bowl and it was a good experience for me."

On what from his college experience has prepared him for this moment:"I think just my coaches and just playing college football. I had great coaches, great coaching staff, great quarterback coach in [Arizona quarterbacks coach Frank] Scelfo and he’s a guy I’ll still talk to every week. I’m really close to him. I played in a lot of games in college, so the more you play the game, the more comfortable you get. I threw the ball quite a bit, so the more comfortable you get throwing the ball [the better]. I think just playing the game a lot. I mean, that’s what helped me. I can’t explain it any more. It’s not a secret. Playing a lot of football helped me with football."

On his impressions of Washington QB Robert Griffin III at the combine:"RGIII, he’s a very energetic guy, very lively. He’s an incredible athlete. From talking to him, you know, he’s just a really good individual and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been doing a great job, he did a great job in college and he does a great job carrying himself. I respect him a lot."

G JAKE SCOTT

On what he has been doing with himself while out of the game:"Trying to stay in shape. I’ve been back in Nashville; got a house in Nashville, so I’ve been there working out, trying to stay in shape."

On how big of a challenge it is to stay in shape when not in a football environment:"It’s tough. I mean, it’s tough to get ready to play football when you can’t actually play football. So you do what you can; you lift, you run. I’ve got a buddy back there I’ve been working out with. We work out at Vanderbilt every day. I mean, I’m in really good shape, but I still haven’t played football this year, that is the difference."

On whether he knows what his role will be this season:"I’d say it’s a little early. My job, my personal job right now, is just to learn this offense as fast as I can and get ready to play so whenever they ask me to do anything, I can be ready to do it."

On not having to learn offensive line coach Howard Mudd’s blocking system due to his previous time under Mudd:"It’s a little bit different. It’s actually, because Andy Reid comes from more of a west coast-type system, it’s actually closer to what I did in college than what I did in Indy."

On his knowledge of Mudd’s technique:"The techniques don’t change. His techniques, I’m used to that."

On why he chose to come back this late in the season:"Because I want to play football."

On whether he was surprised he was not in the league before now:"Not really, because I was picky in the situation. I wanted to be in the right situation. I wanted to be somewhere where I could come in and have a chance to play."

On whether he had other options on the table:"I mean, we’ve talked to a bunch of teams throughout the year. I wanted to pick the right situation and I feel like this is it."

On how difficult it is to not be playing when you’re used to playing on Sundays:"It can be frustrating. You watch the games on Sunday and you watch from the perspective of a fan, not a player. You always wish you were out there."

On whether he is primarily a right or left guard:"I’ve played primarily right guard for most of my career."

On what appealed to him about the Eagles’ situation:"I think I have a chance to play. I think I have a chance to help a team. I think this team has got a chance to get right back into the thick of the playoff race. That’s exciting to me."

On his discussions with the team regarding his role:"They had a bunch of injuries here. Losing four of your starters, you’ve got to find guys and I knew that. They said that coming in. My job’s going to be to fit in wherever they need me."

On how it is to see Mudd again:"It’s good. I really enjoyed playing for him in Indy. We had a lot of fun there and had a lot of success for four years. It’s going to be fun working with him again."

On whether Mudd has changed much since his days in Indianapolis:"No, he’s about the same guy."

On whether he has any timetable for when he expects to be on the field:"I’ve got to be ready for this Sunday if they need me. So, I’ll be ready for Sunday."

LB DeMECO RYANS

On Washington RB Alfred Morris:"I haven’t seen much of him. I still have a lot of studying to do on him, but they’re one of the top rushing teams in the league, so obviously, they’re doing something well. I know that from the clips I have seen, guys run pretty hard. Top rushing attacking, a good offensive line; they know how to get up to the second level pretty good. It’s going to be a challenge. They’re probably one of the toughest challenges this week, a run-first attack. So it’s going to be a challenge stopping the run."

On whether he is looking forward to playing QB Robert Griffin III:"Oh yeah, looking forward to it. This guy, there was a lot of talk about him coming into the league and he’s been a good player, so it’s going to be fun playing against him."

On whether he got a chance to watch Griffin in college at Baylor:"I mean, I started turning it on because the Baylor games used to come on pretty late. I started to tune-in to him once I started hearing a lot about him. [I saw] some pretty impressive things from him in college."

On the last time he faced a team that ran as much misdirection as Washington:"It’s been a while. You look at the film and they’re running all over the place. We really have to settle in and focus in on our run-fits and our keys and make sure we’re definitely on point, because it’s going to come down to being in the right spot for linebackers and safeties and being able to tackle these guys."

On seeing the option run in the NFL:"It’s different. I haven’t seen the option in a long time. Looking at it, it is kind of weird, like, 'Man, we have to go through this stuff again.' They cater to him and what he does well. As a coach, they’re doing the smart thing. They’re putting him in the right position to make plays that’s best to suit him. The offense fits him and he does a good job running it."

On whether he has to do anything to prepare for a mobile quarterback:"You definitely have to worry about the quarterback running now, as opposed to other guys. You play a lot of guys that are just pocket passers. You just want to get them in throwing situation and get after them a little bit. But here, you have a guy who can run the ball. As a defense, you have to have a different mindset now."

T/G Dennis Kelly

On where the offensive line stands with all of the injuries and personnel changes:"We’re really just trying to improve. Obviously we have to find the things we are struggling with and focus on those [to] make them positive. Just trying to build rhythm with all the guys that are playing."

On how tough it is to learn the guard position as a rookie:"It was a little difficult. It was pretty hard throughout the preseason and the beginning of the year because I was looking at every position trying to make sure I knew everything. But now that I was able to focus on one position at a time I think it’s a little bit easier. I’m able to focus at guard at the moment and the last couple weeks. Now I have to kind of go back to knowing both and now that I have a good feeling about guard I don’t have that much pressure having to worry about what the other person is doing."

On whether he feels more comfortable on the left or right side when playing tackle:"I feel more natural at left because I played there for three-and-a-half years. But I’m right-handed so it’s not really hard to switch to a right-hand stance, and so I think I kind of feel good with both."

WR JEREMY MACLIN

On what he thought of QB Nick Foles’ performance against the Cowboys:"I thought he played well. I thought he played with poise. I thought to be put in that type of situation, I thought he played well. I thought we were right in the mix of the game. Obviously the punt return hurt us and that kind of completely swung the momentum but I thought he played well."

On how much it benefits Foles to get an entire week of preparation with the first team:"It always is a benefit. To be able to just go out there and get the full reps and knowing that if you’re going to be the guy to be in the position to do that. So just take it day by day and just go out there and prepare like we’re going out there to win the game on Sunday."

On his impressions of Foles during OTAs in the spring:"I’ve said it since day one, obviously his arm strength. He has really good arm strength. He can throw the ball in places and put the ball in certain places that most guys [can’t do] in this league. That’s one thing that he definitely possesses. And in the preseason the poise that he showed is not what most rookie quarterbacks show. I was impressed with that too."

TE BRENT CELEK

On his confidence level in Foles if QB Michael Vick is out:"I’m really confident. I think my teammates are as well. He’s got all the ability. He’s calm. He knows how to lead so I’m excited if Mike can’t go and I’m excited for Nick."

On whether Foles commands the huddle:"He does. That’s what’s so surprising about him. He’s very calm, he plays within the offense and he doesn’t get rattled."

On how much it benefits Foles to get an entire week of preparation with the first team:"I think it’ll be a big difference to be able to see the looks, make the checks, [and] do everything that you need to do when you’re in the game and to be able to do it at practice. I think it will be a huge help for him."

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